Washington reaches 100° on about 15 days a year, more than 93% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 28°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 71% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.8° above 1901–2000. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 31, with the first autumn frost due around November 3.
A year in Washington at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Washington’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Washington’s place in Oklahoma beside it.
What a year in Washington feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 217 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Washington 6ssw Mesonet, OK, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Washington’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 6 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Blanchard 2 Ssw, OK, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 73 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Washington
63% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Washington 6ssw Mesonet, OK.
Living with Washington’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
217 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 31 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Washington from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Washington and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Washington yet.
Climates most like Washington’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, OK | 28° | 94° | 37" | 6.2" |
| Wellington, KS | 23° | 93° | 36" | 9.2" |
| Stephenville, TX | 34° | 95° | 34" | 0.7" |
| Lancaster, SC | 31° | 91° | 43" | 2.6" |
| Lake of the Pines, CA | 37° | 93° | 40" | 7.2" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Washington averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 91% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Washington compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Washington’s place among Oklahoma’s.
Washington weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Washington’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Blanchard 2 Ssw, OK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 28° | 1.4" | 2.0" | 5 | 2 | 34° – 48° |
| February | 56° | 32° | 1.6" | 0.7" | 5 | 1 | 37° – 53° |
| March | 65° | 41° | 2.8" | 0.5" | 6 | 1 | 47° – 61° |
| April | 73° | 48° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| May | 80° | 58° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 67° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| July | 94° | 71° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 78° – 90° |
| August | 94° | 70° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 75° – 90° |
| September | 86° | 62° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| October | 75° | 50° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| November | 63° | 39° | 2.2" | 0.5" | 5 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| December | 52° | 30° | 2.1" | 2.5" | 5 | 2 | 32° – 46° |
| Year | 73° | 50° | 37.2" | 6.2" | 73 | 5 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 53°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Washington’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Washington’s center.
- Snow: Blanchard 2 Ssw, OK.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Washington 6ssw Mesonet, OK, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Washington’s climate
What is the weather like in Washington?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Washington in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 73 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Washington get?
About 6.2 inches in a normal winter at Blanchard 2 Ssw, OK, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Washington?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 71°. About 77 days a year reach 90° and 15 reach 100° (Washington 6ssw Mesonet, OK).
When is the first and last frost in Washington?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 217 frost-free days, at Washington 6ssw Mesonet, OK.
What growing zone is Washington in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Washington?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Washington getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Washington.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.